Seminars, events and working papers

2015 events

Can aid be delivered effectively in insecure
environments? Reflections on the Children of Uruzgan programThis symposium is part of Save the Children's reflection on its flagship four year health and education program in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the symposium will bring together
aid organisations, academia, government, donors and members of the public to focus on: program delivery and community engagement in insecure contexts; work in religious and culturally diverse communities; and methods for undertaking remote monitoring and measuring impact.

Professor William Maley, AM FASSA from The
Australian National University and Dr. Nadira Hayat, Former
Deputy Minister of Public Health Afghanistan will lead key note addresses.

Confirmed speakers include Leonard Blazeby, Head of Mission International Committee of the Red Cross; Beth Eggleston, Director Humanitarian Advisory Group; Professor Robert Power, Head of Centre for International Health; Geoff Chan, International Health and Development Officer of The Burnet Institute;
Professor Matthew Clarke, Head of School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin
University; and Dr. Abdul Basir Sherzad, Technical Adviser to the
Children of Uruzgan Program.

When: Thursday 7 May 2015, Registration from 9am. Symposium finishes at 5.15pm. This will be followed by the opening of the Children of Uruzgan Exhibition until 8.30pmWhere: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins

2013 events

Furthering Australia-China Engagement: Issues, Challenges and IdeasDiplomatic relations between Australia and China have now entered the fifth decade. Buoyed by close economic links, this crucial relationship appears to be healthy and growing. But is
there room to further strengthen and develop this relationship? How could Australia and China better engage with each other in political, strategic, cultural, educational as well as economic realms? What are the opportunities and challenges that face this relationship in the new century?

Debating and understanding such issues and questions is vital to Australia's place in the 'Asian Century'. Specifically, it is central to the development and implementation of a balanced, nuanced and responsive country strategy on China as Australia prepares itself for the rise of a dynamic and complex
Asia. In this context, it is important that from the outset Australia should engage in close and regular dialogue with China on both how to understand these common challenges and how its China strategy might take shape.

This conference aims to facilitate such dialogue between Australian and Chinese scholars to address some of the broader questions noted above. It will invite scholars and observers from various disciplines and fields in Australia and China to provide a wide range of perspectives. Topics may include
(but are not limited to) the conditions for cross-cultural understanding and misunderstanding; the roles of language and history teaching, educational links, and research collaboration; the political, strategic and economic dimensions of engagement; cross-cultural perspectives on identity, literacy,
citizenship, development, and globalisation; and how and what ideational and institutional changes may be required to give this relationship more resilience. Through discussion and dialogue, the conference will strengthen ongoing collaboration and linkage between Australian and Chinese scholars, students,
writers and journalists, and contribute to the broader debate on Australia-China relations.

Co-organisers:School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin UniversityCentre for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin UniversityAustralian Studies Centre, Renmin University of China

Australia and ASEAN: Partners in more than Dialogue?In 2014, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrate 40 years of Dialogue Partnership. Since becoming ASEAN's first Dialogue Partner in 1974, the Southeast Asia region has undergone enormous change.
It is now home to some of the world's fastest growing economies, new participatory democracies, and multilateral challenges such as health pandemics, people-smuggling and cross-border environmental risks. To manage these increasing regional complexities, ASEAN is now central to a range of processes -
the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Plus Three - that engage not only Australia but also major powers, including China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

But how well do Australians know ASEAN? And do we understand the potential the Australia-ASEAN relationship holds for navigating a century of dynamic change in our region?

To help us better understand the role that ASEAN plays in regional affairs - and the value of Australia's Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN - Deakin University and Asialink have assembled an expert panel for this public discussion. Panel members - former Secretary-General of ASEAN, Rodolfo Severino,
Associate Professor Tan See Seng and Dr Avery Poole, together with Chair, Professor Baogang He - will consider the 40-year evolution of the Australia-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership and its future prospects as Australians contemplate their place the 'Asian Century'.

Max Charlesworth: Crossing the Philosophy and religion divideThe Editors and staff of Sophia and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Deakin University invite you to celebrate with us the publication of a special issue of Sophia, 'Max Charlesworth: Crossing the Philosophy
and Religion Divide' (Sophia, 51:4, 2012).

This issue of Sophia is a Festschrift in honour of Professor Max Charlesworth, AO, who co-founded Sophia in 1962. He was Reader in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne before going to Deakin University as Planning Dean of the School of Humanities. He remained at Deakin as Professor of Philosophy
until 1991 before retiring as Emeritus Professor of Philosophy. He is the author of a number of significant books and articles and an exemplary educational innovator. In a career of public engagement that has spanned some seven decades, Professor Charlesworth has been a major voice in a range of contemporary
academic, religious and intellectual debates in the Australian community and internationally.

Where: Gryphon Gallery, Graduate Centre (1888 Building)Grattan Street, University of MelbourneAccess is at the north side of Grattan Street, just west from the junction of Swanston & Grattan StsWhen: Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 5.30pm-7.30pmDrinks and light snacks will be providedRSVP: By March 31 to peter.wong@unimelb.edu.au, or call: 0437 846 828

2012 events

Indonesian Roundtable EventThe Faculty of Arts and Education and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences will host a Roundtable event on 14 and 15 November 2012 at the Burwood campus with a large group of visiting Indonesian university leaders.

The aim of the Roundtable is to enhance our increasingly significant engagement with Indonesia by demonstrating Deakin's capacity to host Indonesian HDR students and to explore the potential for extending existing collaborations in research and publications.

The VC will make an official welcome and sign an MOU with a representative of a number of a consortium of the Indonesian Universities